SThree reported a six-month performance drop, with revenue at £598.8 million and pre-tax profit of £2.7 million, a 75% decline from the previous year as the group incurs non-recurring costs tied to cost-optimisation and softer net fees. The earnings miss and cost pressures left net cash at £43 million, down from £47.8 million, while a share buyback programme has seen around £8.8 million purchased so far. Management attributed improved trading momentum in the period, led by the USA and Japan, and an expanding contractor order book, despite mixed conditions across geographies. The company emphasised its strategic programmes, including a technology improvement drive and a single global cloud-based platform that underpin productivity gains and scalable AI-enabled capabilities. Guidance remains for FY26 pretax profit near £10 million, a target that is still above some analyst expectations, reflecting an anticipated improvement as markets stabilise and hiring activity recovers in certain regions.